What's the Temp. outside?

2nd week of December

All you have to do to see how cold it is outside, is to look at your Rhododendrons.

-Leaves are curled (to prevent moisture loss from cold temp./wind) 20 degrees F.

- Leaves open due to warmer temperature. Pictures were taken only a day apart 58 degrees F.

WINTER 2009 Look Up !!

I love to look up in winter. The leaves are off of most of the trees. You can see things that are not readily apparent during the warmer growing season months. Examples are things like:

*Squirrel nests which appear as bunches of leaves stuck up in the tree tops. It's amazing to me that these "bunches" can stand up to the punishment of storm winds, driving rain, etc. Upon closer inspection the nests are also made of strips of bark, sticks, plastic, etc.

*Bee Hives are easy to spot also. I am often surprised to see a nest only 6'or 8' from the ground in small trees near peoples homes. Don't worry, they are usually high enough where people do not bother them.

*Tree Shape & Branch Structure really stands out in winter. This is a good time to prune many trees. You can see which branches are strong, or which ones are weakly attached/dead and should be removed.

George's Favorite Trees

These are pictures of some of my favorite local trees. I will be adding new pictures from time time time.

Birch - This tree is located along the street on Summit Road in Cheshire, CT. most people would think these branches would be weak, sticking out so much. The opposite is true. The branch/trunk union area is mostly solid wood and very strong. Branches that are closer and look like a "v" in this area are mostly bark against bark and will often break away from the tree when they are subject to heavy wind or snow loads. What a nice looking tree !

White Oak - What a beautiful tree ! That's a 30" ladder at the base. I've been taking care of this tree on Payne Drive in Cheshire, CT for years.

Penguin Plunge

PENGUIN PLUNGE !

My brother takes the plunge in Torrington, CT 2 February 2007. This event was held to raise money for the Special Olympics. It was a really good time. Lot's of people having fun and lots of warm cornbread, soup and chili afterwards. Who knows, maybe next year I'll do it!

My Flute Making

I guess I started getting interested in making flutes about 10 years ago. I was admiring some nice Native American Flutes at my friend Two feather's shop and decided to buy a couple. I experimented playing them. I never played a musical instrument in my life but I found that playing simple tunes of my own design was easier than I had thought it would be. I then started experimenting with crafting my own flutes. I carved by hand sometimes and other times I used my old woodworking machine called a Shopsmith. I used the original flutes I had purchased as a guide to making sure my flute sounded correctly. I have to admit though, I personally prefer the sound of the original native flutes better. They sound a bit more "airy and raspy". Refer to this informational website to hear an early recorded soundclip: http://www.flutetree.com/nature/Warble.html. I have made many flutes over the years and have given most away to family and friends.

Our Tipi

This Tipi was given to me by a good friend. Two Feathers owned a great little native american shop in Bethany CT until a couple of years ago. When she decided to close the business she gifted it to me. She really did some good things there. There were always troubled youths involved in keeping up the grounds and doing projects. It really gave them a sense of purpose and helped them immensly. I hope that someday she can help others again in the same way. It really made a difference. When she first ordered the canvas from Reese's Tipis I helped her and a group of friends removed the bark from the 24" cedar poles with draw knives. A local friend donated the poles. It's important when moving the poles not to damage the tops. They are about 1/2 diameter at the ends. They really give the top of the tipi a graceful look against the sky, as you can see from this picture. The tipi is now located at the RiverBound Farm bird sanctuary, located on Cheshire Road in Cheshire, CT. Feel free to go there anytime to see it and take a walk around around the trails. Pay attention to the design of the Tipi. The outside cover is about 6" off the ground to allow air to create a draft to pull smoke up and out the flaps on top. There is an inside canvas wall that extends to ground level and provides protection from the wind.